5 S&P 500 Stocks Poised for Stellar 2013 Sales Growth

Indeed a few dozen companies in the S&P 500 are set to boost sales in 2013 in excess of 20%.

According to most economists, the hangover from the Great Recession of 2008 continues to linger, and the U.S. economy is unlikely to grow much more than 2.0% or 2.5% in 2013. And most American companies will be grateful if they can boost sales by just 5% or 7% in such a slow economy. Yet in every economic cycle, you'll still come across the select stocks and sectors that are powering up. Indeed a few dozen companies in the S&P 500 are set to boost sales in 2013 in excess of 20%.

Of course, some of those companies are goosing the top line with acquisitions, which only gives the appearance of impressive growth. But here are five companies sporting the highest projected 2013 sales growth rate on an organic basis. The foundations they've laid for growth in years past are finally paying off.

Here are five impressive growth stories for the year ahead that can help your portfolio power higher.

This company has spent the past few years developing its massive energy fields in Pennsylvania's Marcellus shale region. By the end of this year, Cabot ( COG) expects to be pumping out more than one billion cubic feet of gas per day at its wells. That sets the stage for revenues to rise from a projected $1.1 billion in 2012 to $1.7 billion in 2013.

Cabot, like many other drillers, almost ran into a big problem that would have derailed its ambitious growth plans: There weren't enough pipelines built in the region to get all that natural gas to customers. Yet in recent months, pipeline building has accelerated, and management recently noted that the company will be able to deliver and sell every last drop of gas it can produce.

This should be a great growth stock in 2014 as well as the company completes more wells and the pipeline network receives further development. Sales should top $2.5 billion by then, and those revenues should carry EBITDA margins exceeding 60%, according to analysts.